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adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death
Moderate: Child death, Violence, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I know the fans don’t like Leopardstar’s Honor and it’s one of the worst rated Super Editions but I somehow enjoyed it so much that I gave it 3.5 stars. Leopardstar is a flawed character, and much is a retelling of the first arc, but I still liked it.
Like it’s the custom for many Super Editions, this book follows Leopardstar’s life, starting with her being a kit and ending after The Darkest Hour timeline wise. It’s always nice to read about RiverClan and it’s quite in the focus, so much that the other Clans are only seen after like 100 pages. Her trauma around water was really interesting and a bit disturbing since there was a literal random murder attempt at her as a kit? . The apprentice sections were fun to read about as well and when Leopardpaw is over her trauma, we also get some fun water sections.
Even though I know what’ll happen, the rest of story was quite engaging, even though it felt a bit disjointed because of all the time skips. I love that plot-wise, this novel goes back to the roots of Warriors and focusses more on mythology and – you name it – war. There are way more deaths, injuries, and misery compared to the current main series books, and they’re all quite emotional and sad, like the death of Whitefang or Whiteclaw , but also sometimes a bit predictable, like Frogleap’s .
Of course, towards the end with Tigerclaw appearing (who still feels like a real threat after all these years), we get even more drama. It’s kinda creepy that Mudfur was right from the beginning. It was a bit unbelievable that Leopardstar would trust Tigerclaw so fast. It was so tense how Leopardstar slowly loses control of the situation and doesn’t even realize it. By the way, leader ceremonies will never not feel magical .
I know that many people hate her, but I actually liked Leopardstar here quite a lot. At the beginning, she behaves very differently compared to The Prophecies Begin. She’s of course flawed what we already see in her behaviour towards Whitepaw, but she’s flawed in an interesting way. It was nice to see how she struggled with her responsibility, even though her sudden change of mind was a bit unbelievable. From her POV, it’s also understandable why the other Clans are always so frustrated with ThunderClan. The relationship between Leopardstar and Mudfur, who’s now her dad, is so interesting as well. Besides them, I’m always happy to see Crookedfur but I found it a bit weird that Mistypaw and Stonepaw were barely mentioned.
Personally, I think that Leopardstar’s Honor is one of the more interesting Super Editions. There are no random animals made up just for this book, and the stuff that we already know of gets extended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Gore, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting
Minor: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death of parent
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"You never trust any cat!” Leopardstar’s pelt bristled. “You’ve never trusted me!”
“I wanted to,” he mewed. “I still want to.”
“Then why are you questioning me? You told me I’d save the Clans. Let me save them!”
The moon was high now and the sky indigo behind him. Mudfur’s eyes shone like water. “When I told you that
you’d save the Clans, I believed it with my whole heart. But now . . .” His mew trailed away.
Considering my general dislike of Leopardstar, I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. However it serves its purpose very well - it shows us exactly the chain of events that leads toLeopardstar's decision to ally with Tigerstar, and ultimately to let Stonefur die, and it does it in a way that makes the final controversial scenes feel authentic and real for her character, even if still unjustified.
Responsibility is placed on her early for the safety of those she loves - in the very first chapter Leopardkit is told by her father Mudfur that StarClan spared her for a reason - the reason being that one day she'd be important to all the Clans. Throughout the story you can see how this responsibility impacts on Leopardstar and her decision-making - many of her actions are driven by a confidence that she must be doing the right thing, because StarClan said she would save the Clans. It fuels her duty to her Clan fiercely, to the point whereshe and her love interest part on mostly-amicable terms because Leopardfur knows she cannot prioritize him over being deputy.
Warriors is a series that is often criticized for its poor character development in places, but Leopardstar's character development shines in this book. Her character moves from place to place, realizing her flaws and mistakes and working to rectify them, even if it isn't quickly enough to mean a happy ending for her or for others. The book also clearly showcases her pride and blindness to her bad decisionsthat play a part in elevating TigerClan to power - in earlier parts of the book Leopardfur challenges many of Crookedstar's decisions as his deputy and believes with all her heart that she is doing the right thing for her Clan even if her leader won't, and yet after she becomes leader and names Stonefur deputy there are multiple scenes where she is frustrated with him for disagreeing with her and undermining her authority, some of which she considers to be traitorous rather than simple disagreement. It's an interesting thing to consider regarding Leopardstar's character and Stonefur's ultimate fate , and having this book peek into Leopardstar's thoughts and actions feels necessary and like it enhances the story given to us in The Prophecies Begin.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was Leopardstar's interactions with other characters - her friendship with Sunfish and subsequent mentoring of Whiteclaw, which builds up toWhiteclaw's death in Fire and Ice and builds context for her animosity towards Graystripe, was very enjoyable to read. It was also refreshing to see Leopardfur and Frogleap part amicably and maintain their friendship even if a romantic relationship wasn't in the cards for them. The characters Leopardstar interacts with have a huge impact on the way she behaves throughout the book - Whitefang and Sunfish both die as a result of a battle for Sunningrocks instigated by Leopardfur in response to Redtail's prodding, and while this alone doesn't serve to make her realize the flaws of her battle-hungry attitude it sets the stage for how the pressure of knowing she was destined to "save RiverClan / the Clans" from kithood intertwines with her decisions for her Clan throughout her life. She holds herself personally responsible for every RiverClan death that occurs during the book, regardless of whether she could reasonably blamed for it or not, and her desire to never lose a member of her Clan again drives her to harsher and harsher measures to secure peace and safety for them.
Mudfur and Leopardstar's relationship was a point of contention for me, though not necessarily because it was badly written. As mentioned, Leopardstar's belief that she was spared from death so that she could save the Clans hovers behind her every decision, and how Mudfur chooses to respond to those decisions felt very uncomfortable to read. He continually points out the flaws in her decisions, but never acknowledges how his disclosure of the prophetic dream affected Leopardstar's development from a young age and how it is influencing her decisions now. Regardless of my problems with their communication however, it was nice to revisit their relationship more deeply after the glimpses we were given in Crookedstar's Promise.
I expected the book to touch on Leopardstar's dealings with Tigerstar for longer than it did, but I can't necessarily say that the focus we did get was insufficient. We see his charm, how he knows exactly what to say to manipulate Leopardstar and her desire to keep her Clan safe, andwe see him turn on her once she's too far in to turn back without repurcussions. You feel her helplessness, how if she chooses to go against Tigerstar then her Clan will suffer the consequences. And while it doesn't serve to justify her decisions, especially regarding Stonefur and his death, it provides a clarity to them that we don't get from the events in The Prophecies Begin alone. I do sympathise with her, and I appreciated seeing her ultimately recognize her mistakes, drastic as they were. The story we were given gave so much depth to a controversial character that, until now, we'd only seen from the outside. Whenever I reread the first series, I'll definitely be looking at Leopardstar in a different light.
“I wanted to,” he mewed. “I still want to.”
“Then why are you questioning me? You told me I’d save the Clans. Let me save them!”
The moon was high now and the sky indigo behind him. Mudfur’s eyes shone like water. “When I told you that
you’d save the Clans, I believed it with my whole heart. But now . . .” His mew trailed away.
Considering my general dislike of Leopardstar, I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. However it serves its purpose very well - it shows us exactly the chain of events that leads to
Responsibility is placed on her early for the safety of those she loves - in the very first chapter Leopardkit is told by her father Mudfur that StarClan spared her for a reason - the reason being that one day she'd be important to all the Clans. Throughout the story you can see how this responsibility impacts on Leopardstar and her decision-making - many of her actions are driven by a confidence that she must be doing the right thing, because StarClan said she would save the Clans. It fuels her duty to her Clan fiercely, to the point where
Warriors is a series that is often criticized for its poor character development in places, but Leopardstar's character development shines in this book. Her character moves from place to place, realizing her flaws and mistakes and working to rectify them, even if it isn't quickly enough to mean a happy ending for her or for others. The book also clearly showcases her pride and blindness to her bad decisions
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was Leopardstar's interactions with other characters - her friendship with Sunfish and subsequent mentoring of Whiteclaw, which builds up to
Mudfur and Leopardstar's relationship was a point of contention for me, though not necessarily because it was badly written. As mentioned, Leopardstar's belief that she was spared from death so that she could save the Clans hovers behind her every decision, and how Mudfur chooses to respond to those decisions felt very uncomfortable to read. He continually points out the flaws in her decisions, but never acknowledges how his disclosure of the prophetic dream affected Leopardstar's development from a young age and how it is influencing her decisions now. Regardless of my problems with their communication however, it was nice to revisit their relationship more deeply after the glimpses we were given in Crookedstar's Promise.
I expected the book to touch on Leopardstar's dealings with Tigerstar for longer than it did, but I can't necessarily say that the focus we did get was insufficient. We see his charm, how he knows exactly what to say to manipulate Leopardstar and her desire to keep her Clan safe, and
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Animal cruelty, Confinement
Content warning details:
GRAPHIC:
Animal death: All about. This is Warriors.
Blood: Mentioned in several scenes and fight sequences.
Child death: The kits of a side character Mosspelt are killed during a flood. The main character notes her fears that apprentices may be killed as a result of her actions.
Death of parent: One character Sunfish dies of an infection, leaving behind grown kits and a supporting apprentice character who mourns her. A supporting character Frogleap is killed during a flood shortly after his kits are born. A secondary character Silverstream dies off-screen giving birth to her kits.
Fire / fire injury: We revisit the fire scenes from the first arc's Forest of Secrets. One character's body is retrieved from the fire by the main character, and others are noted to have died later on.
Gaslighting: Most notably in Leopardstar and Tigerstar's relationship towards the end of the book. He begins to subtly manipulate her very early on, and after their alliance of TigerClan is confirmed his tactics become more openly threatening towards Leopardstar and her Clan.
Gore + Injury/injury detail: Child-appropriate descriptions of injuries can be unsettling to read.
Grief: The main character grieves heavily for several loved ones over the course of the book. A side character Mosspelt is also noted to be heavily grieving the death of two of her kits.
Murder: A graphic scene in the prologue and towards the end of the book depicts a character Stonefur being murdered because they are half-Clan. Towards the end of the book a different character is killed in a revisit to a scene that is often heralded as the series' most graphic death. Other side and supporting characters are killed during battle.
Toxic relationship: Tigerstar and Leopardstar.
Violence: Many battle scenes where characters are injured and / or killed.
MODERATE:
Pregnancy: Multiple side and supporting characters become pregnant over the course of the book.
MINOR:
Animal cruelty: During a scene where the main character and her patrol steal fish from a human / Twoleg, the human attempts to attack them with what is described to sound like a weapon. A secondary scene involving the human results in one character Mosspelt being caught and caged, though she is ultimately safely rescued.
Confinement: Several characters Stonefur, Mistyfoot, Featherpaw and Stormpaw are imprisoned for being half-Clan. All but Stonefur escape safely.